1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to extrusion dies and more particularly to extrusion dies intended for use in the preparation of foodstuffs particularly dies used in pasta making machines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to make pasta in a range of different shapes such as macaroni, spaghetti and vermicelli some being solid in cross-section and some being hollow in cross-section, by extruding a dough of suitable composition through a die having in it a plurality of apertures each of which corresponds in cross-sectional shape to the cross sectional shape of the particular type of pasta being prepared. While pasta is manufactured commercially on a substantial scale there are on the market machines for the small scale production of fresh pasta for domestic use, which employ extrusion dies such as those described above. A major problem in the use of such machines is in the cleaning of the dies after use. Dies for many forms of pasta necessarily have apertures of small diameter from which it is very difficult to remove dough remaining in the apertures after the extrusion process has been completed. This applies particularly in the case of dies for pasta of tubular section such as macaroni.